Surprises and snubs won reactions from shock to "awww" inside the Beverly Hills theater Thursday where the 85th Academy Award nominations were announced live.

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It was no surprise that "Lincoln" took the most nominations, with 12, including nods for best picture, best director and best actor.

But gasps escaped the mouths of many audience members every time "Amour" was named as a nominee: It's up for five awards, including both best foreign language film and best motion picture.

The French film was written and directed by Michael Haneke, who was nominated for best director. The movie centers on an elderly retired couple whose love is tested after the wife has a stroke. The film's star, Emanuelle Riva, 85, is the oldest actress to ever receive a nomination for best actress.

FILE - This film image released by Fox Searchlight Pictures shows Quvenzhane Wallis portraying Hushpuppy in a scene from, "Beasts of the Southern Wild." Wallis was nominated for an Academy Award for best actress on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, for her role in the film. The 85th Academy Awards will air live on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013 on ABC. (AP Photo/Fox Searchlight Pictures, Mary Cybulski) (Mary Cybulski)

"For me, it is an immense gift, at this stage of my life, to be chosen by my sisters and brothers, for what I do as an actress," Riva said. "I never thought, while working throughout the years in Europe and France, that one day, I would cross the Atlantic Ocean, come to the United States, and be nominated. It is quite surreal for me."

Also making history this year is Quvenzhane Wallis for her role in "Beasts of the Southern Wild." At just 9 years old, the pint-size star is the youngest actress to ever be nominated in the top acting category, leaving the audience in a collective "awww" as her name was called.

Rounding out the best actress category are Jessica Chastain in "Zero Dark Thirty," Jennifer Lawrence in "Silver Linings Playbook," and Naomi Watts in "The Impossible."

"I am so thrilled and humbled with this morning's wonderful news," Watts said. "The journey of telling Maria Belon's miraculous story of survival has been an incredible experience and I am so grateful for this acknowledgment of our film. I am truly honored."

Nine movies will battle it out for the top prize on Feb. 24 when Seth MacFarlane hosts the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Not too surprisingly, those movies include: "Argo," "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Django Unchained," "Les Miserables," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln," "Silver Linings Playbook," "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Amour."

A surprise snub is Ben Affleck's lack of a best director nomination for "Argo," a best picture nominee. "Argo" is loosely based on the CIA operation to free six U.S. diplomats from Iran during the 1979 hostage crisis.

Twitter was abuzz over the snub, including a spoof profile claiming to be that of nominee Michael Haneke who tweeted to Affleck: "thanx 4 lendin me ur oscar nominayshun 4 best director!!1! i guess daredevil 2 mite happen aftr all lol #teamhaneke."

Kathyrn Bigelow was also skipped over in the best director category for "Zero Dark Thirty."

But one director was celebrating Thursday. Ang Lee's film "Life of Pi" is his most nominated film to date. The film garnered 11 nominations.

"I am deeply honored and frankly a little overwhelmed by all of the nominations that `Life of Pi' has received this morning," Lee said. "So many talented people gave everything they had to this film, both in front of and behind the camera, and to see all of them receive this kind of recognition is something I am incredibly grateful for."

FILE - This Oct. 19, 2012 file photo shows actor-director Ben Affleck posing for photographers during a photocall to present his movie "Argo" in Rome. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for best picture on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. Alan Arkin was nominated for best supporting actor and Chris Terrio for best adapted screenplay, but Affleck was not nominated for either best actor or best director for his work in the film. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, file) (Gregorio Borgia)

"Lincoln's" accolades also include best actor for Daniel Day-Lewis, best supporting actor for Tommy Lee Jones and best supporting actress for Sally Field, as well as best director for Steven Spielberg.

It was also a good year for animated films, which Disney's "Brave" director, Mark Andrews, says is giving live-action films a run for their money.

"I think this idea that animation is just for kids is beginning to fade," Andrews said. "They really have a meaning, an impact and provoke thoughts and can be dramatic. And they're ultimately, at the end of the day, a lot more entertaining than most of the live action films that we get out there and people are starting to clue into that."

"Watch out live-action, you're not the only game in town," Andrews said.

"Brave" is up for best animated feature film along with "Frankenweenie," "ParaNorman," "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" and "Wreck-It-Ralph."

"Frankenweenie" director Tim Burton said the film was personal for him as it was years in the making. It was originally a short film made in 1984 as an homage - and parody - of the classic "Frankenstein."

"The idea of ... a feature length version was in the back of my mind for many years," Burton said. "Stop motion was the perfect medium for this project, and one I've always loved for its expressiveness and dimensionality.

"I've worked with so many incredible artists - animators, cast members, set builders and puppet makers - all who have helped bring this film to life one frame at a time. I'm so honored that the academy has recognized this film as one of its nominees."